Music Monday: July 24, 2023

Hi, everyone. Welcome to another triple play edition of Music Monday.

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Last Friday we lost the man arguably considered to be the greatest crooner who ever was. And yes, even the Chairman Of The Board-Frank Sinatra-called Tony Bennett “the best singer in the business”. Anthony Dominick Benedetto died July 21, 2023 at the age of 96. A native New Yorker born in Astoria, Queens on August 3, 1926, Bennett was probably the greatest champion for the Great American Songbook and many of the most iconic jazz tunes in history. He sang & recorded with everyone from Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louie Armstrong, Count Basie, Paul McCartney, Elton John, James Taylor, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, Bono and countless others. Bennett’s death closes out one of the longest, most prolific, most important & most beautiful chapters of American music we will ever see again. Thank you, Tony, for every single note.

Tony Bennett circa 1950. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

The woman Bennett considered the greatest singer he ever heard held her last U.S. concert 55 years ago on July 20, 1968. Judy Garland headlined the show, held at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which also featured Count Basie and Jackie Wilson. She performed about 20 songs, leaving everyone in attendance clamoring for more.

Judy Garland circa 1947. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

This month also marks the 75th birthday for Yusuf Islam f/k/a Cat Stevens. Born Steven Demetre Georgiou on July 21, 1948 in London, England, he began his professional musical career in 1967 with the release of his debut album, Matthew and Son. Aside from a 17 year respite between 1978 and 1995 while he devoted himself to religion and his family, Islam’s career spans over five decades. He remains one of the most beloved and inspirational artists of the 1970’s.

Yusuf Islam in 2014 at his Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in Brooklyn, NY (picture by me).

Tony Bennett: “When Will The Bells Ring For Me” (1990, written by Charles DeForest).

Judy Garland: “Over The Rainbow” (1939, written by Harold Arlen and Edgar Yipsel “Yip” Harburg).

Yusuf Islam f/k/a Cat Stevens: “Trouble” (1970, written by Cat Stevens n/k/a Yusuf Islam).

Stay safe and well.

13Jun2022

Music Monday: June 13, 2022

Posted in Music Monday by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hi, everyone. Welcome to another edition of Music Monday.

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Before The Motor City had Motown it had Mr. Excitement. Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. a/k/a Jackie Wilson was born June 9, 1934 in Detroit, MI. He started singing in his church as a child, then as a member of a few singing groups before releasing his first solo single, “Reet Petite”, in 1957. That was the first in a string of hits he would have throughout the rest of that decade & the next.

My mother was a big fan of Wilson’s and she & my dad went to see this incredible talent at The Apollo Theatre in the early 1960’s. By 1967 Wilson had another hit record with today’s song. Outside of his music career he had a tumultuous and sometimes tragic life. I wish his story had a better ending than it did. But one listen to anything from his catalog proves this man had an opportunity to live his dream. That is no small feat.

“I’m so glad, I’ve finally found you
Yes that one in a million girl
And with my loving arms around you, honey
I can stand up and face the world“.

Jackie Wilson circa 1961. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Jackie Wilson: “(You’re Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher” (1967, written by Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner, and Carl Smith).

Stay safe & well.

27Sep2021

Music Monday: September 27, 2021

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to the blog for this week’s Music Monday.

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

September 29 will mark my mother’s 82nd birth anniversary. Both of my parents loved music, but since I spent more time with my mother during my early years while my dad was at work it was her influence that molded how I would listen to music for the rest of my life.

For one thing, I definitely share her high tolerance for repetition. If she liked a song, she would listen to it over and over again until she switched it out for the next 45 in her collection. There were about a dozen singles she was crazy about, and until this day I can still recall every single word of each one, no matter how much times passes in between hearing them. I still consider most of them some my favorites as well. Their hold on me is eternal.

I remember being in the car with her when one of those songs came on the radio. Even though we had arrived home & had that record there, my mother purposely drove around the block a couple of times so we could hear the entire song. Then the deejay announced he wanted to listen to the tune one more time so he played it again. My mother was thrilled & drove us around the block a few more times while we sang along with the track a second time. It is one of my most treasured memories.

My mother, Theresa, December 1968.

Second, she had great taste in music for the most part (we will just ignore her dark period as a fan of The Fifth Dimension. At least I discovered Burt Bacharach & Hal David through them). She loved Elvis Presley, Jackie Wilson & Motown, to name a few. If not for her buying a four album K-Tel compilation set of The Motor City’s greatest hits I cannot even imagine if I would have known who The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Miracles or Stevie Wonder were.

Every year as we got close to Halloween she would pull out her “Monster Mash” single and we would dance around while I tried on my costume to make sure it was perfect for the big day. Then we would put the decorations up to bring a more festive vibe to our home. Only Christmas had more preparation to it with tons of holiday music to match. I ache for those days.

It is always so hard for me to choose one song in her memory because there were just so many she loved. But I am able to narrow the list down with the help of Bruce Springsteen. As a fan of Elvis & Wilson himself, I have been at several of The Boss’s shows where he covered their songs as encores. Each time I could not help but think how perfect it was that my great musical love was singing songs by my mother’s great musical loves. And even though she was not there with me physically, I just knew she was loving those moments as much as I was. Music is very much a part of the circle of life.

“Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be“.

Elvis Presley circa 1959. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Elvis Presley: “Can’t Help Falling In Love” (1961, written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore and George David Weiss).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love with you.

Stay safe & well.

16Sep2021

Let’s Take A Moment Day 549

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

Hi everyone. Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing. But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

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I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Several musical variety shows debuted in the 1960’s. One of the best was also one of the most short-lived. Shindig! premiered on September 16, 1964 on the ABC Network in America. It was cancelled 18 months later but during its short run the show featured an impressive array of artists including Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, several Motown artists and The Beatles (in an installment filmed in England), to name a few.

The first episode that aired 57 years ago featured soul and R&B master Sam Cooke. He sang three songs that night, two by himself & one with The Everly Brothers who were also guests. One of the songs Cooke sang was written by Bob Dylan. Cooke also performed it at his Copacabana show in June 1964 & it became part of the album, Sam Cooke at the Copa, released a month after his appearance on this show.

This year marked Cooke’s 90th birth anniversary. To watch his vibrancy & utter joy in performing in this clip can only be described as bittersweet. The fact that he would be gone less than three months later is so heartbreaking I cannot even find the words to express it properly. The video may not be the best quality but who cares? It is Sam Cooke & he was too beautiful for words.

“How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky
And how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry“.

Sam Cooke circa 1964. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Sam Cooke: “Blowin’ In The Wind” (Live performance from ABC’s Shindig! which was broadcast on September 16, 1964. Written by Bob Dylan).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

9Jun2021

Let’s Take A Moment Day 450

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Jack “Jackie” Leroy Wilson Jr. was born 87 years ago on June 9, 1934 in Detroit, Michigan. His first solo single,1957’s “Reet Petite”, was co-written by Motown founder Berry Gordy. Today’s song was released six years later & was co-written by Wilson himself. He sang, he danced, he wrote songs & performed with everything he had. “Mr. Excitement”, as he was called, was the whole package.

“‘Round and ’round we go
Where we stop nobody knows
Yeah the band is swinging on the stand
We’re moving in we’re moving out“.

Jackie Wilson circa 1989. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Jackie Wilson: “Baby Workout” (Live performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” broadcast March 31, 1963. Written by Alonzo Tucker and Jackie Wilson).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

19Apr2021

Let’s Take A Moment Day 399

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

The Copacabana has been one of NYC’s premier nightclubs since it opened in 1940. It has existed in many different locations throughout the city, but the desire to headline there was always the same, especially for musical artists in the 1960’s. Sam Cooke’s 1964 show was released in a live album the same year. A record of Marvin Gaye’s 1966 performance was supposed to be issued that year but because he & Motown president Berry Gordy could not agree on how the record was to be produced, the project was abandoned until 2005 when it was finally released.

Both Gaye and Cooke’s appearances at the club were done in part to follow in the footsteps of one of their favorite singers, Jackie Wilson. He made his debut there on April 19, 1962. The performance was recorded & released the same year on the album, Jackie Wilson At The Copa. He performed today’s song that night as well as on “The Ed Sullivan Show” earlier that year. It was the follow-up single to 1958’s “Lonely Teardrops” (Day 213) and was a Top 20 hit in 1959. Wilson, with his four octave tenor voice & smooth dance moves, earned the nickname “Mr. Excitement”. One watch of today’s video clip is all you need to understand why.

“The way you make me feel like I belong
The way you make me right when I am wrong
The way you sacrifice just for me
Just how lucky can a poor man be”

Jackie Wilson circa 1960. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Jackie Wilson: “That’s Why (I Love You So)” (Live performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on January 21, 1962. Originally recorded in 1959, written by Tyran Carlo and Berry Gordy Jr.)

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

29Jan2021

Let’s Take A Moment Day 319

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

When Fiorello La Guardia became NYC’s mayor in 1933, one of his first acts was to ban burlesque shows in the city. This caused Hurtig and Seamon’s New Burlesque Theater to close its doors after nearly twenty years in business. While this was obviously a bad thing for that show, it turned out to be one of the greatest blessings in musical history. A year later, on January 26, 1934, that venue was reborn as The Apollo Theatre.

From its first amateur night to the features of major musical performers, The Apollo stage has hosted the best artists in swing, bebop, jazz, gospel, blues, R&B and soul. In the 1930’s Billie Holiday, Lena Horne & the Count Basie Orchestra made their debuts there. The next decade featured Amateur Night winners like Sarah Vaughn and Ruth Brown. In the 1950’s James Brown was discovered the same way and “Showtime At The Apollo” began. That decade also saw the premiers of jazz greats Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk.

The 1960’s featured numerous shows by Stax & Motown artists. In 1972 John Lennon & Yoko Ono took part in a benefit concert there to help families of the inmates who were shot during the Attica Prison riots in 1971 (Admit it-now you hear Al Pacino in your head screaming “Attica!” “Attica!” from the movie, “Dog Day Afternoon”, right?)

The Apollo closed briefly in the late 1970’s but reopened in 1981. That decade brought about the debut of the television show, “Showtime at the Apollo”. For 87 years the theater located on W 125th Street in Harlem has been a beacon for legendary music & comedians. My parents are part of that history as they were there at a show in the 1960’s to see one of my mother’s favorite singers, Jackie Wilson. Today’s song is one of the biggest hits of his career and always reminds me of how lucky my parents were to see this man live during the height of his fame.

And in a great example of symmetry, I saw my own musical hero Bruce Springsteen play this song in concert several times (one of his best versions was with an all star band at The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert in 2009). Dolly Parton did a gospel inspired country version of it as well in 1977. But today’s track features an electrifying horn arrangement & music by The Funk Brothers so that makes it the premiere version of this incredible song.

“Now once I was downhearted
Disappointment was my closest friend
But then you came and he soon departed
And you know he never showed his face again“.

“Mr. Excitement” Jackie Wilson circa 1960. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

The marquee’s announcement of The Queen Of Soul’s return to The Apollo Theater in New York City on June 3, 1971. (Tyrone Dukes/The New York Times). (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Jackie Wilson: “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher” (1967, written by Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner, and Carl Smith).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

15Oct2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 213

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

I know we are in a serious situation, but I need a break from the gloom, doom and bullying by way of hoarding. Music has always been my refuge and watching those beautiful Italians singing to each other from their balconies reaffirmed my belief that music is the answer. So until the old normal returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Today in 1958 Jackie Wilson recorded one of his signature songs. It was another tune co-written by future Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr who also co-wrote “Reet Petite”, “To Be Loved” & “We Have Love” for Wilson the year before. The proceeds earned from these songs helped Gordy start Tamla Records in 1959 which became the iconic Motown label in April 1960. The success of today’s tune also helped establish Wilson as one of the premier R&B singers not only the 1950’s & 1960’s but of all time.

He was born Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. in Detroit, Michigan in 1934. He began singing in church when he was a child which led to him joining a gospel group in his teens. He learned to box during a couple of stints in detention for bad behavior and competed in the local boxing circuit before he quit to marry at 17 because he was going to become a father. He joined several groups (including one with his cousin, future Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs) until Wilson signed a solo record deal with Decca Records subsidiary label, Brunswick, in 1957. “Reet Petite” was his first release which helped launch his career through its moderate success. Between his four octave tenor range and his dynamic dance moves on stage, Wilson earned the nickname “Mr. Excitement” and enjoyed over a decade of success throughout his career.

Unfortunately the rest of his story is not as happy. Wilson was besieged with problems in his personal life including getting shot by a girlfriend, several arrests and legal issues, financial losses & IRS liens due to an embezzling manager as well as multiple children from in & out of his two marriages. He also lost a son, Jackie Jr in 1970 when the 16 year old was shot to death. That sent Wilson into a depressive state which included drug use. In 1975 he suffered a heart attack onstage which left him in a semi-comatose state. He remained in a nursing home until his death from pneumonia in 1984. Wilson left a legacy on music, fans and the performers he influenced especially Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, and Michael Jackson among many others. My mother was a big fan of his & she and my dad were lucky enough to see Wilson perform around 1960 at the acclaimed Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Swoon.

“Just give me another chance for our romance
Come on and tell me that one day you’ll return
‘Cause, every day that you’ve been gone away
You know my heart does nothing but burn, crying“.

Elvis Presley (L) with Jackie Wilson (R) circa 1959. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Jackie Wilson: “Lonely Teardrops” (As performed on “American Bandstand” in March 1959. Originally released in 1958, written by Berry Gordy Jr, Gwen Gordy & Roquel “Billy” Davis as “Tyran Carlo”).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

26Jun2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 102

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

If you ask most people who the greatest band of all time is, many will tell you The Beatles. However, the question as to who comes in second would spark a debate by fans and music scholars alike since there are so many to consider. But not for me. Only one answer is clear. It is The Funk Brothers.

They were a group of blues and jazz musicians who became the house band at the Motown label for 14 years, from 1959 until 1972. Look at those dates again carefully because what they reveal is every song recorded for the label in the 1960’s had The Funk Brothers on it. That is every song by Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Marvelettes, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Martha & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Mary Wells, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Junior Walker & The All Stars and every other act on the label during that time. That is an absolutely staggering accomplishment.

The Funk Brothers story was told in the 2002 documentary, “Standing In The Shadows Of Motown”. During the opening credits it is revealed they played on more number one hit records than Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys combined. Even the word genius does not seem to adequately describe that achievement. And the only reason why their streak ended is because Berry Gordy moved the label’s base of operation from Detroit to Los Angeles without including the band in the relocation. And prior to that they were never given the proper recognition they deserved during Motown’s heyday.

The film identified 13 men as Funk Brothers. Remember the Apostles were 13 when they were with Jesus. Coincidence or the second coming? You decide. Outside of the Motown label, The Funk Brothers played on The Contours “Do You Love Me”, Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher” and on the song “Boom Boom” by one of the greatest blues singers to ever pick up a guitar, John Lee Hooker.

Of course, the songwriters and performers were needed to deliver the sound created by The Funk Brothers, but without their incredibly talented and intense consistent playing the songs would have never soared like they did. For example, today’s track was written by the same two men who wrote Gaye’s smash “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and I find it nothing short of hypnotic. There is a lead guitar riff played quickly and sporadically throughout the song that just reaches inside of me and leaves me gasping for air despite it being all around me. It is just that intense.

A couple of my musical heroes list Motown/Funk Brothers songs as ones they cannot live without. For Eric Clapton it is “I Was Made To Love Her” by Stevie Wonder. For Bruce Springsteen there are two (because he is just that cool): “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye & “Baby I Need Your Lovin'” by The Four Tops. Covers of Motor City songs were made by The Beatles (“You Really Got A Hold On Me”), Rod Stewart (“I Know I’m Losing You”), The Rolling Stones (“Going To A Go-Go”) and countless others. Motown’s influence, lead by the music of The Funk Brothers, is so far reaching it would be nearly impossible to comprehend. But without it, the landscape of music would be devoid of soul. I may bow at other altars of music, but I am brought to my knees in the church of the Brothers Funk. Can I get an amen?

Stevie Wonder in the Motown studio with some of The Funk Brothers circa 1967 and the movie poster for 2002’s “Standing In The Shadows Of Motown” (Images found online. Original sources unknown.)

Marvin Gaye featuring the music of The Funk Brothers: “That’s The Way Love Is” ( 1969, written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

22Jun2020

Let’s Take A Moment Day 98

Posted in Music by Michele at Lilacs & Rust

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

My mother was a big fan of Jackie Wilson’s. I knew most of his hits like “Lonely Teardrops”, “Reet Petite” and “Higher & Higher” from her 45’s, but since most of his albums were out of print by the time I started collecting records, I was not able to find them. Over the years I have tried antiques stores, old record stores and online catalogs, but the one album of his I wanted more than any other, 1960’s “Jackie Sings The Blues” has eluded me for years. But now thanks to streaming services and YouTube, I can listen to music I cannot find anywhere else. Today’s song is my favorite cut from that album.

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Jackie Wilson: “Nothing But The Blues” (1960, written by Lena Agree).

I do not own the rights to anything. I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

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Lilacs & Rust

Music & makeovers! I swoon for chippy paint, a gorgeous patina and a fabulous song!!! I love great music (read: Bruce Springsteen & Otis Redding), white lilacs, walking in freshly fallen snow, the Golden Girls, road trips and the fall!!!

Tag Archives: Jackie Wilson

Music Monday: July 24, 2023

Music Monday: June 13, 2022

Music Monday: September 27, 2021

Let’s Take A Moment Day 549

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Sam Cooke circa 1964. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 450

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 399

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Jackie Wilson circa 1960. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 319

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

“Mr. Excitement” Jackie Wilson circa 1960. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 213

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Elvis Presley (L) with Jackie Wilson (R) circa 1959. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 102

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

Stevie Wonder in the Motown studio with some of The Funk Brothers circa 1967 and the movie poster for 2002’s “Standing In The Shadows Of Motown” (Images found online. Original sources unknown.)

Let’s Take A Moment Day 98

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)

(Image found online. Original source unknown.)